Conrad Johnson vs. McIntosh Tube Gear

Just received a reply from the owner/designer of Quicksilver Audio and he recommends pairing the Quicksilver Triode amps with and an Audible Illusions preamp for an ultra smooth warm midrange. Has anyone heard this combination? Anyone familiar with Audible Illusions preamps?

Thought I haven’t used the new Triode amps, I’ve used both the Silver 60’s and Silver 90’s amps from Quicksilver with my Audible Illusions Mod3a preamp for some time (before selling the amps and going SS on the bottom). The midrange is as Mike points out super smooth and silky... Depending on the room size and speaker selection it’s a winning combo.

As for the AI, there’s a lot in print here and elsewhere about the product and company. I’ve have zero problems with mine and it’s a great bang for the buck. Put some Russian military NOS tubes in it and sit back. The preamp adds little to no color what so ever and is dead quite. Personally I can’t say enough good things about the preamp, plus it has a very good phono stage. (I had the mod3 which I had upgrades a few years back to the mod3a with a custom 17” faceplate.) There are very reasonably priced on the used market, however please read the threads on customer service.

One last note, there is absolutely NO comparison between the QS line stage and the AI Mod3a. The AI is just a killer preamp (for the money).

Good luck
Tony

I think both Mike Sanders and Tony are right; that was my experience with AI and QS 8417 an excellent combination.

THIS MC 275 AND C2200 IS A JOKE FOR HALF THE PRICE OR LESS YOU COULD GET A MC 225 AND A MAC MX 110Z IT IS TWICE THE SOUND TRUST ME YOU WILL FLIP OUT HOW MUCH BETTER IT SOUNDS. 2 STARS VS 5 STARS NO JOKE.

This thread illustrates a dilemma we all face. It is very difficult to find and listen and compare for most of us. We wind up buying on blind faith and hope we have done well. I have owned both Mac and more recently cj. My current cj is a an ET5, an ARTsa, and a TEA2MAX. I think this combination sounds wonderful, but at the price is should. I did audition Mac 275 VI and 2200, and ARC, but can't recall the models. But chose the cj for a variety of reasons, most significantly comfort with my dealer. Frankly when considering gear at this level, I don't think you can go wrong and whatever you buy you will enjoy.